Our Road to Emmaus

“Two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus Himself drew near and walked with them.”

When we hurt, have our dreams and expectations crushed, or see terrible things going on around us our typical response is to hopelessly analyze it. Why has this happened? Did I do something wrong to deserve this? How can people be so cruel? Why doesn’t God answer? We can go over events in detail and debate incessantly in our minds. We may actually find someone who also likes to analyze and debate. In that case, off and running we both go as if in some kind of study group.

The problem is that staying in our heads keeps us from noticing and experiencing the things going on around us, and the people closest to us. Good things can be happening right under our noses and we miss it because we’re busy debating in our minds the question of why.

“And it happened that, while He was with them at table, He took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that, their eyes were opened and they recognized Him.”

Forget the analyzing. Look. Listen. Engage. If you do there is a good chance the questions of why will fall away and you have a lovely experience. You may even meet the Lord, whether in nature, music, through a person, through a person’s actions, or perhaps at the Eucharistic table. But the key point is get out of your head and into real life. You can find help for your pain that way, whether medical, psychological, and/or spiritual.

Scripture is from today’s readings: Luke 24:13-16 and Luke 24:30-31

Picture is Christ on the Road to Emmaus, Franz Joachim Beuch (1665-1748), public domain, on Wikimedia